Author Michael Specter railed against a maddening societal shift away from scientific facts while fellow writer and philosopher Sam Harris argued that the separation between science and human values is an illusion.

"We've never needed science and progress more than we have now," Specter said at a prestigious TED Conference that ended Saturday.

"Yet we'd have to go back before the Enlightenment to find a time that we fought things more than we do now. You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to you own facts; sorry about that."

The annual TED gathering was a thought-sparking swirl of perspectives, revelations, and creative presentations delivered by vaunted personalities asked to pack the talk of a lifetime in an 18-minute punch.

Physics string theory was spun with insights into spider silk, synthetic life forms, the psychology of happiness and even a prototype mosquito zapping laser.

Natalie Merchant enchanted with new songs she lovingly crafted from the lyrics of revered poets such as E.E. Cummings.

Actress and comedienne Sarah Silverman rattled some in the famously upscale crowd with bawdy humor while former Talking Heads band front man David Byrne joined Thomas Dolby to sing "Nothing but Flowers."

The entertainment buoyed spirits and moods during days spent dissecting global woes from climate change and overfishing to disease, poverty and pollution.

"I have been bottling up a fair amount of rage," TED curator Chris Anderson said at the conference that ended Saturday.

"At a time when there are so many smart people capable of solving problems, what happens? Nothing. Running into walls. Grubby murky compromise. I really hate this. What the world needs is a restart."

The 1,500 people attendees included entrepreneurs, celebrities, and founders of Internet stars Google, YouTube, Zynga, and Amazon.com.

More than 900 groups of people in 75 countries attended virtually, with talks and presentations streamed to them online.

Recorded talks from gatherings are posted online at TED.com for free viewing.

More than 200 million "TED talks" have been seen at the website, according to event organizers. Volunteers recently started translating the presentations into scores of languages.

British conservative leader David Cameron made a teleconference visit to this year's TED to say that he will use Internet technologies to better connect people and government if he becomes prime minister.

"The Information and Internet Revolution Age has happened in our lives, but hasn't gone through government," Cameron said.

An annual TED prize gives each winner an altruistic wish that the community's members promise to help fulfill.

Renowned ocean explorer Sylvia Earle's TED prize wish last year to rally support for a global network of sea life havens has resulted in "Mission Blue" set to launch in April.

The mission aims to support fighting poachers at sea and to enlist allies online. Earle will join scientists, politicians and others on a Mission Blue fund-raising voyage setting out April 6 for the Galapagos Islands.

"TEDsters" were invited to join the adventure at a price of 20,000 dollars per passenger.

"Ideas are all well and good but what the world needs now is action," Anderson said as heady subjects ricocheted at the mind-jarring gathering.

(PhysOrg.com) -- Google has announced it has secured its first official device partner for Google PowerMeter, which means you can now use the software without having a smart meter installed by your utility ...

(Phys.org)—It was an interesting week for physics research—most of the big news was centered around space, the cosmos or how things came to be as they are. One team of physicists offered a solution to the puzzle of the origin of matter in the universe—suggesting t ...

A total of 1.6 billion people worldwide – nearly a quarter of the global population – are forced to pay bribes to gain access to everyday public services, according to a new book by academics at the Universities of Birmingham ...

For well over two decades, researchers have sought to build music listening software that can address the deluge of music growing faster than our Spotify-spoilt appetites. From software that can tell you ...

A team of Cornell University researchers focusing on a fictional zombie outbreak as an approach to disease modeling suggests heading for the hills, in the Rockies, to save your 'braains' from the 'undead.'

User comments : 10

Archivis

Stop whining. Since the world dumped communism, and partially dumped socialism, world prosperity and wealth are booming. This is by far the greatest period in human history.

Our biggest problems are the do-gooders of big government. In the US they are messing up housing, energy, food prices, retirement savings, medical costs, education, and now they are crushing the job market. Big government is the problem, not the solution.

Mr. 3432682 , you've got to be kidding. How is it you did not mention the benevolence of Goldman Sachs, not to mention their aid in helping Greece cover up their national debt. This latest revelation is going to have a huge impact on the financial stability of Europe and the rest of the world. Wake up and get informed.

Stop whining. Since the world dumped communism, and partially dumped socialism, world prosperity and wealth are booming. This is by far the greatest period in human history.

Our biggest problems are the do-gooders of big government. In the US they are messing up housing, energy, food prices, retirement savings, medical costs, education, and now they are crushing the job market. Big government is the problem, not the solution.

Wow. How parochial a point of view. A large percentage of the population of the planet has one retirement option.... to die.

If Jesse Ventura's conspiracy theory about the Bilderberger's is true the solution is coming soon. Almost all our problems can be traced back directly or indirectly to there being too many people. This planet can only support indefinitely about 1 or 2 billion people at a high technology level. If we actually were an intelligent species we would limit our population, too bad there is very little intelligent life on the third rock.

While I wouldn't welcome the jack-boots, our species would be better off in the long run. This planet can support human life for millions of years more. We are acting exactly like the virus that the agent in the matrix accused us of being. Not limiting our population now might prevent millions of generations from enjoying this paradise planet we were given. All the people who think it's god's will to have as many children as possible are the real criminals, they are helping trillions of people to never be born.

Almost all our problems can be traced back directly or indirectly to there being too many people. This planet can only support indefinitely about 1 or 2 billion people at a high technology level. If we actually were an intelligent species we would limit our population, too bad there is very little intelligent life on the third rock.

Premier analysts have estimated that the planet Earth, at today's technology, (if used efficiently and homogenously applied) could support upwards of 14 billion people. I'll believe them over Ventura and Malthus anyday. You are correct when you say there is very little intelligent life on the planet.

After all, what do you think your chances of being one of the 1 or 2 billion left would be?

While I wouldn't welcome the jack-boots, our species would be better off in the long run.

People who like to wear jackboots should not be asked to help control anything, esp. a population.

We are acting exactly like the virus that the agent in the matrix accused us of being.

The deer in our area have acheived equilibrium by a combination of starvation and getting their heads smashed by car bumpers. Point: a lot of suffering comes with that equilibrium. We are no different.

Not limiting our population now might prevent millions of generations from enjoying this paradise planet we were given.

Life on this planet is harsh. No paradise here.

All the people who think it's god's will to have as many children as possible are the real criminals, they are helping trillions of people to never be born.

Lock 'em up then, herr 4th-rock.

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